Silver Days
by Blackstory
Summary: They thought it was over, they thought that they'd won. But war comes unwanted, and the four are thrown against who they would have once called allies. There were no accidents...until Arc was taken. And Luneth will do anything to get him back. LunethxArc
1. On the Horizon

This is a LunethxArc fanfiction, and unlike my other story (Besotted) it is an extended one, with a storyline. This will be the first non-oneshot LunethxArc story...ever. I hope to be the main writer of all LunethxArc one day.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

It was over. Xande was dead, darkness was gone, and the four warriors of light had returned to their homeworld. They had agreed to take residence in Ur- it was close to both Kazus and Castle Sasune, and two of four warriors had called it home for most of their lives. They rotated between the other two homes fairly frequently, visiting and keeping in touch. Refia was continuing her apprencticeship with her father- and had quickly surpassed him, finding ways of mixing magic and metal to forge things never seen before. She quickly surpassed every blacksmith in Airworld, and frequently complained to the passing blacksmiths when they tried to get her to teach them.

She was a level seventy white mage. She doubted anyone would be willing to put as much effort into becoming someone as good at their job as she did. Her job level, like the rest of the warrior's, was over eighty. They'd all fixed themselves determinedly to their jobs- painfully basic, but they served them well. Refia, as mentioned before, was a white mage. Arc was a black mage, but only ever used the ridiculous hat when he didn't want to be recognised. usually impossible, due to the fact that none of the other warriors made any move to hide their identities.

Refia strongly suspected that Arc would rather have something to partially hide his face with, or at least overshadow it like the hat did. That had promptly ended when Luneth had asked him to not wear the hat all the time, because it was weird to not be able to see his best friend's face all the time. Refia sagely shared her theory with Ingus- the theory that Arc probably wouldn't have removed the hat if it hadn't been Luneth that asked. He agreed. Refia had felt quite pleased with herself then- Ingus was a brilliant soldier (and a Red mage) and tended to ntoice the small details that others didn't. According to Princess Sara, he'd been an infamous prodigy in the most difficult teachings of the soldier- he'd excelled in all aspects, including how to read a person through minute messages in their posture and expression. Apparently, one of the most difficult things. Ingus had most certainly formed essays of all three of them- and other allies- in his head, stored away until they needed to be read over for consultation. If he agreed with a character fact such as the one Refia had produced, then he likely had a hundred ways to prove and justify it. It was just the way he was.

"For the last time, no!" She screamed, utterly losing her temper at the most recent person to ask for apprenticeship. The dude quailed, and scrambled away.

She didn't think either she nor Ingus had realized _just how fucking much_ Arc blushed before he abandoned the hat. Naturally, it was just strange for him to be embarassed as everything, and so she and Ingus began _observing_, aka _investigating._ Well, more like Ingus figured things out while she tried to catch up. Arc was indeed embarassed by the smallest of things, but those things certainly had a common factor. They were _all_ involving Luneth in some way, shape, or form. The two warriors had come to quickly identify that Arc's entire mental and emotional state revolved around the silver-haired teenager, implying heavily that Arc was ridiculously close to him.

Luneth's mental health greatly focused around Arc too- but he was a lot more impulsive, brash, and possessed much more self-esteem. Therefore, it didn't affect him on the level that it affected Arc.

In general, Arc blushed whenever Luneth said anything remotely compliment-oriented. He blushed whenever he was named as his friend. He _certainly_ blushed when Refia teased them in secretly investigative ways.

Ingus had apparently had the conclusion for a very long time, and had been brooding over it, when he quite randomly confronted Refia (when the two best friends had gone fishing) and told her quite abruptly that Arc was either gay or bisexual. He then left her to draw her own (correct) conclusions from that. She supposed it made perfect sense if she put Arc's love- certainly not a crush- into account. Rather than ranting over the unnatural factors of the information, she proceeded to wail over how sad and tragic it was that Arc 'was suffering from unrequited love' and 'always nursing heartache'. Suddenly, Ingus knew what area of Refia's mind had claimed the _girliness_ that seemed so hopelessly absent from her tomboyish personality.

Before she could do anything, he swore her to secrecy. It was unknown where Luneth stood in the matter, and no person had the right to play with another's feelings in any potentially damaging way. With hesitation, she agreed.

That was a long time ago. And since then, Ingus couldn't determine anything more about Luneth's more secreted feelings other than the fact that he was definitely hiding some, and with astonishing skill. Arc's state, though, seemed to have gotten worse, if possible. The shy teenager didn't eat very much- enough, but not much. Luneth ate a _lot_.

Refia had a hobby of blacksmithing, and occasionally she would get Ingus to teach her some psychology. She found it interesting, certainly. Luneth didn't really do much except daydream, and training was a given for all of them. He tended to stare off into the distance and become absorbed in his own little world quite frequently, and by studying him, Ingus had determined that he thought about a wide variety of things. He made up for his utter rashness on the battlefield by thinking and probably analysing various topics and theories in his spare time. Luneth had proved himself to have a very wide imagination, and while Ingus was undoubtedly the strategist (and a good one) Luneth often made suggestions that had never occured to him, and with a little editing, would be admittedly fit into his plans faultlessly.

Ingus had had a rather surprising and interesting conversation with Luneth once- ironically, when he was poisoned and somewhat delerious. It was the only time he wasn't alert enough to constantly aggravate the boy non stop. A few choice comments had led to a round of philosophical banter, and when Ingus contemplated it later he was genuinely surprised by the integrity that some of his speak showed. Luneth evidently had a very intelligent head on his shoulders, but had trouble applying it to the things that it needed to be applied to. Ingus had been subtly working on that via manipulation through words: it was quite possible for an experienced psychologist such as himself to word his insults in ways that coaxed certain reactions from the manipulee. Luneth was definitely getting better at using his head in the right situations- Ingus could practically see the gears turning in his head now.

As for himself, well, Ingus didn't do anything except train. He didn't have anything better to do. Arc, at first glance, appeared to be reading all the time. But logically, that wasn't very possible, seeings as Arc certainly didn't buy new books and the book he was always seen with never changed. After some shameless, nosy prying, he revealed the previously unknown secrets of Arc's more quiet skills. All in all, Arc was a fabulous poet. Ingus had known a few poets in his life, and had determined that their psyche tended to include very poetic thoughts. Poets, more often than not, were quiet people who were much more innately vocal than outwardly. Meaning instead of talking verses of speech out loud, they did it in their heads, then if they found something they liked, might organise it and write it down as a poem later. Arc was certainly one of these people, and while he didn't write down some things, Ingus pried them out of him anyway. The blond was actually quite pleased to discover the younger boy's grace with words, it was something he'd never known before.

Luneth, being Arc's best friend of many years, probably knew that Arc was a poet. He very likely did not know some of the poetic thoughts that Arc thought. Ingus decided to spare poor Arc the embarassment, and didn't even mention to a person that he knew Arc was a poet.

Those had been times of battle and hiding, of running and dying. But they had invariably been times of peace.

Not like now. Not when danger loomed on the horizon- as clear to an educated soldier as the air he breathed. He said nothing, and if his companions noticed his sudden silence, they didn't comment.

Ingus was waiting for something. He was listening, observing, watching for the slightest of disturbances. In his typical style, he gathered details and snippets of things that other overlooked, and he weaved them all into a terrifying foresight that he hoped was wrong. It couldn't be, though. He had heard it in clips of conversation ("-Did you hear? The Tekkul merchants are two weeks late."" I heard the vikings have cut off all communications- I wonder what's going on?") and had smelt it in the very atmosphere.

There- he could almost see it. Like a dark cloud on the faraway skyline- soon it would cloak the world in its dark incarnation.

Ingus was sure of it. War was coming to Airworld.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Okay, introduction done.

I'll be honest. This probably isn't going to be updated quickly- I have a life, upcoming overseas-ness, another fanfiction account, and a deviantart account. Basically, I have so much crap to do. I'm literally staying up till dawn every day to get things finished, or not sleeping at all. I've been on a schedule of 'sleep every two days' for the past week or so...ung.

This poem will play a big part in the story. Mainly, I just put it there so it would be somewhere and I wouldn't lose it. Me wroted it. .

This sanity is due to bend,

Twist and tear until the end.

I'm lost and trapped and can't be free,

I need someone to rescue me.

It's too late and time to fade,

Within this coffin that I've made.

Can you see the sky decay?

The echo of a silver day?

This tainted virtue of despair,

For which I hurt but always care.

Can you see the seasons turn?

The ashy stars of midnight's urn.

The way the darkness kills the pain,

And I never want to feel again.

If I should wake before I die,

Spare me this and let me cry.

Hear me plead if this is done,

Burning chasm of the sun.

Keep the tale from being lost,

Free it to the silver's frost.

Keep the fire blazing bright,

Keep the chasm from the the light.

Let loose the faceless when it's gone

And keep the silver rolling on.


	2. Laying it Down

A lot of Ingus, because he's a deep character and plays several important parts in the story. And...'cause he's fun to write.

xxxxx

Refia had been showing off her latest mage-staffs, ones that had orbs of glowing light on the end when in use. She'd happily engineered one type to be usable for offensive magic, and another for healing and the purer spells of a White mage. They could be told apart by the colour of their lights- the attack staff glowed a red-orange that reflected flickers of fiery light wherever it shone, and the bright ice-blue of the air staff reminded them all of the air crystal- hence its name. Arc had shyly accepted an attack staff, and been genuinely delighted at how well it channeled his magic. For once, Luneth wasn't in his dreamworld, and was watching the soft light play over his best friend with an odd expression, his own skin golden in the sunset. The chorus of faraway birds pierced through the cool air, and a fresh breeze blew into the guest room of Castle Sasune.

It had been tranquility, aside from Ingus's painfully familiar apathy that had seemed far more obvious over the last few weeks. He'd been tense, even a little nervous. He seemed to be on constant lookout.

Needless to say, he startled his teammates when he snapped his head towards the wooden door seconds before a knock resounded on it.

"Come in." Ingus called quietly, and the door slowly opened to reveal a nervous foot soldier with a scroll.

"King Sasune instructed me to bring you this message. He requests that you think about the information and meet him in the council room tomorrow at noon." The soldier bowed, handing the scroll to Refia and meekly ducking out of the room.

"Give it here." Ingus impassively ordered. Normally, Refia would have flared up at being commanded...but there was something...off...about his expression. Slightly puzzled, Luneth watched and Arc placed down his staff as Refia handed the scroll on with a surprising lack of animosity. Ingus flicked it open with a single, practiced movement, and his jaw clenched as his eyes ran over it. By the time he looked up, his hand was stiffened on the parchment and his eyes were cold and hard.

"Whatsit say?" Luneth asked, curious. Ingus looked strangely harsh. The soldier's face underwent a brief contortion, then melted into an emotionless mask that could have been carved out of stone.

"Dear allies,

I hope that this message finds you well and that you are prepared for what I am to tell you." Ingus began, effectively catching the undeterred attention of everyone in the room. "Ingus will have most likely have noticed, but things have been amiss in Airworld recently. The merchants from Tokkul have not come and all communication with the viking clan has been lost. All envoys sent did not return. This, and several minor factors would have provided a suspicion, but we received the confirmation from Castle Argus yesterday. King Argus passed away very recently, and his successor has declared war upon us." Ingus waited for the collective gasps and wide-eyes to go around, then continued. "He has stated that we can surrender, and give up our royals for execution, or he will destroy us. We must also fill in all of our wellsprings and pay annual tribute in the form of half of every village's collective harvest." Ingus's eyes darkened considerably at that: it was well known how close he was to the royal family. "I would like it if you can decide the cause of action to be took, and that you can justify it in council tomorrow. Yours truly, King Sasune." Ingus flipped the scroll shut- no one could figure out how he did that. "Well?" He looked at them expectantly. It took a moment for the other free to emerge from their trance, but once they did, the effect was instant.

"We fight. Sasune will be at an advantage if they have high level warriors." Luneth declared determinedly.

"I can't believe you had to ask." Refia added in, almost reproachfully. Arc twitched and nodded hesitantly, but his friends could read him well enough to tell that he was just as sure as they were. Ingus inclined his head slightly. His apathetic mask hadn't faltered, but they could see the almost guilty approval in his blue eyes.

"I don't think you know the true extents of war." He said after a while. It was said with a strange abruptness, as if he wanted to get it over with. "I haven't been in one, myself. But I have been taught by some of the old soldiers who fought for us years ago...and I have seen what became of them." Ingus stared blankly ahead as he said the words, eyes not focused on anything, face drawn in horrific remembrance. "Many of them were insane. On the battlefield, you let loose all that makes you human and become a beast. You slaughter and you burn and you do horrible things, but it isn't until it's over that it all comes crashing down on you. That you've killed real people, not just faceless martyrs on the fields of war. People who had loving families, who will grieve and weep for them because you killed them."

Luneth flinched violently, perhaps caught in some kind of unwanted premonition, and a mortified shudder rippled over Arc's body. Refia just stared, eyes wide and unblinking, skin holding a strange white pallor.

"Terrible things happen to some soldiers." Ingus informed quietly. "Especially those who are high ranked enough to have access to important information. One of my teachers, he took me to the castle ward used for the old and broken administrators of the war. I changed that day." Ingus's lips curled in a bitter smile. "They were insane. There's no softer way to describe it. They were the ones who were taken by the enemy for interrogation. They were brave soldiers...few of them ever let anything slip. But things happen to you when you spend countless hours in dark cells, unspeakable tortures inflicted on you. Many of them were catatonic, they'd slipped into a state where they couldn't sense anything of the world around them and were effectively numbed. In such a state, they wouldn't be able to feel torture, so that's why their minds changed to be that way."

Ingus hated doing this to them. Their almost painful lack of world knowledge had kept them untouched by the soul of a murderer, and he wished he could spare them that. But they had to know what they were getting into.

"Some of them were worse. Some of them would flinch away whenever you touched them, their twisted and broken bodies mutilated in such ways that all they knew was pain, and they couldn't see the difference between their friends and torturers. They would have been...silenced...if it weren't for the people who loved them enough to still want to get them back after so long. There were people that screamed in their beds and had to be restrained so that they didn't kill themselves." Ingus locked eyes with his team. "We would be the strongest and most trusted of all the army. If they catch us, there is every chance that we could become one of those people. There is every chance that we will not come out of this war alive." His eyes narrowed. "And I can guarantee that you will come out of the war changed. There is no telling what you will become. And still, you want to fight?" Luneth was avoiding his eyes. He saw truth in them, and he did not like what that truth told.

"What else can we do, really?" Luneth returned quietly. "All of our homes are included in the Sasune kingdom. You'd lose the closest thing you have to family. Our friends will suffer and it will be because we refused to fight."

"We...we have to fight." Arc's voice quivered, but there was no mistaking his sincerity.

"You expected me to refuse?" Refia smirked, and replied in her own way. Ingus took in the sight of them all- Luneth's smouldering seriousness, Refia's arrogant acceptance, Arc's quiet determination. He sighed- a tad sadly. He knew that they might not be the same people once the ordeal was over.

For now, they stood united. They fought as one. They were a team.

But how long would that last?

He sighed, and rubbed his temples, displaying one of his rare smiles, dragged gentle with weariness. "I'm proud of you all." He told them, and they knew better than to comment on his sudden warmth.

He was a soldier. He was supposed to be a weapon.

But he was human, too.

xxxxxxxxxxxxx

Stiffened with uncharacteristic formality, the four warriors of light entered the council chamber. It was silent, unnaturally so. The collective eyes of landlords- barons- mayors- focused instantly on them. None of them said a thing. The great room was ornately carved in stone, and at the head of a great table sat the King Sasune, shouldered by his daughter and his queen. The king gave a short nod of recognition at their entrance, and waited tersely. The first minutes of introduction were well known to be crucial in politics. Princess Sara's eyes were deceptively blank, but she was not well-practiced enough in the art of withdrawing to hide the thinly-veiled fear in her eyes.

Luneth shifted slightly from his tense position, and his eyes fixed unflinchingly on Ingus. While he was perhaps not the most powerful of them all, nor the one that held them together, Ingus was unmistakably the leader, and they followed his lead as was needed. So when Ingus crouched in a respective- but not overly so- bow, Luneth and the other two were inclined to copy. There were subtle languages in the art of council- how low you bowed, how you carried yourself. The smallest things spoke loudest in a chamber of formality. And the behavior of the four unmistakably spoke of loyal allies who definitely considered themselves as more than servants, and had their own say in things.

And the unofficially crucial moments were over, King Sasune swept his hand in gesture to four chairs evenly grouped at the other end of the table- a clear sign of royal respect as equals. "I'm glad you could come." he said, voice gravely and choked by something almost invisible. The warriors took the seats that were prepared for them, manner brisk in the character of a wary negotiator at potential risk. Ingus and Luneth sat in the middle two chairs- Refia by Ingus's side, and Arc on Luneth's. There was brief silence, but all present were practiced enough to not find it awkward. It was a period of silent assessment of those assembled, and the opinions subtly formed by every detail meant a great deal in the end. The space was abruptly ended by the King's words, carefully chosen and quite obviously so. "We of the council are...curious to know what you make of the information you have been given access to, and your decided cause of action based upon it." His words were smooth and rolling, but there was no mistaking the tension behind them.

The party of four shuffled a little, and as if in some unspoken nomination, Ingus replied.

"I speak on behalf of all of my party when I say that we have no doubt as to our decision. I made sure my companions knew what to expect from the fields of battle, and on unanimous choice, we vote to fight this war." They were not fools. By having been chosen to speak first, it was clear that the decisions of the rest of the council would be subtly based upon their own. And as if in some great solace, the gait of those assembled relaxed slightly. The king gave a slight nod, perhaps too quick for it to be entirely formal. The queen was unwaveringly cool of manner from years spent in lofty heights of icy apathy. As for Sara, she quite poorly tried to hide the relief in her eyes.

"This council hears your decision, warriors. And now, starting from the head of most prominent village, Canaan, we shall place our own." Everything shifted, then. All attention was drawn to the old figurehead of the peaceful village, once cheerful features drawn in a grim finality. Cid of Canaan stood to make his choice, and gave the smallest of nods in the direction of his old allies.

"I have had council with the people of Canaan, and while many are upset at the change, the majority agree that we cannot give as much as the enemy demand. We will fight." He sat, and subtle flickers of approval glanced from the unchanging people of the chamber. Next was Jaia, the figurehead of Kazus. He swept a look at Refia that was unmistakably proud.

"We in Kazus are steeled to what happens when we choose to go against those who threaten us, and we are ready. Kazus will offer its manpower and weaponry in this war." He took his seat again, and then a disconcertingly happily-dressed village head stood.

Ira, mistress of Gyshal, was evidently not excluded from the sheer sheepiness of her village. Her clothes and demeanor screamed 'shepard'. She looked, strangely enough, like a little-Bo-peep who would eviscerate someone with a smile on her face. "Gyshal, unfortunately, does not have much manpower nor much of anything to offer. But we are, in general, a very out of the way place and only we know the more secreted ways from here to there. We will stand as the prime evacuation zone for your women and young children, and the elderly who cannot fight. We are strictly agricultural and can provide much needed food and supplies in the war. Also, we will be more than happy to release our chocobo into your custody for steeds of battle. Gyshal will support the battle in any way we can." Ira stepped away, the picture of detached oddity unmoved by all horrors.

The next speaker was small. Very, very small. So much so that a resident red mage was called upon to enlarge her with a spell. Rira of Tozus spoke. "We are small, your majesty, and our only means of fighting is by magic.We can provide spells, and our gnomish breads for easier navigation, but we cannot fight. That doesn't mean we will not support kingdom Sasune in any way we can. Tozus is very difficult to get to, and very difficult to find. Therefore, we can also provide a haven for they who will not fight, as long as they don't object to being under the spell Mini." Rira bowed, and was shrunk again.

Last of the village heads was one that Arc and Luneth looked upon with fond eyes, and who were regarded in return with kind familiarity. Topapa, head elder of Ur, made his speech. "We already have two of our number fighting this war, and as for their companions we can only make them aware that they will always have a place among us. None of us may be as powerful as Luneth or Arc of Ur, but we are well prepared from the times long ago in the youth of the elders, when much stronger monsters terrorized us. We elders are familiar with the toils of battle and we have made sure that the rest of the village is likewise. There is not a child over the age of five who cannot defend himself. Perhaps it is time for Ur to end its age of peace and use its manpower for something useful. We will fight."

Neither Luneth nor Arc even tried to hide their gratitude and relief towards the elder, but naturally, were also worried for the people of their home. War took casualties, after all.

The rest of the people were barons or landlords in charge of small stretches of land of resources. Some of them were more useful than others- like the nomadic tribe of Vexus who always kept to the Sasune side of the Airworld, and who were also well known for their amazing prowess in magic. Only a few of the greedier and more cowardly barons refused to fight, and were very much voted against.

So, it was official. Kingdom Sasune was going to war.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Explanations will be coming next chapter, as to the main reason of the war and all that crap. I expect consistent reviewing- I want as many reviews for this chapter as the first.

I'm afraid this will probably be the first update for a good week or so, since I'm going overseas to Corsica. But I'm rather happy with the story, so don't expect it to be abandoned any time soon.

There was some foreshadowing in this chapter. Anyone who can guess it gets spoilers.


	3. Council of War

A long, tension-filled week of extremely exhausting training later, and Sasune recieved the reply from the enemy. In the form of a mutilated soldier and a message. The Four were quite promptly pulled to the council chamer, along with all others involved.

King Sasune slammed a scroll onto the table. It was bloodstained. "We have our reply from Argus. It has been confirmed that the former king has been overthrown- a coup that no one saw coming until too late. But whatever the circumstances, Argus's soldiers believe in the views of the new king, and that Kingdom Sasune doesn't give enough to the so-called 'superior kingdom'. It is true that they are naturally more powerful than those on our side- the monsters there are stronger, and therefore they have had to be stronger to adapt. But we have numbers on our side. As you know, Owen Tower divides the airworld into the two kingdoms. We most certainly have the most manpower on our side. This would have cost them the war under normal circumstances...but it appears that they've stooped to recruiting several monster clans."

Angry mutters arose in the hall, quickly silenced by the next lot of news. "It is common knowledge that the lord Desch is very powerful, and due to his friendship with our allies, would choose our side on the war. Unfortunately, as some of you may know, one year after his return the ancient forces recalled him to the furnace. He has a duty to the higher forces which we mere mortals cannot take away. Which is a shame, considering the monsters we'll be up against."

A baron raised his hand. "Sir, what do the monsters have to do with Lord Desch, if I may ask?"

King Sasune sighed. "Desch, while human, is not like the rest of us. He is the closest thing to a holy man this world may ever see, being the channel of the very spirits of existence. Monsters, while consumed by the demonic hate of below, have a much greater understanding of the higher forces, and it has been confirmed that they refuse to fight the lord. It is unknown to the extent that the monsters can sense. All that matters is that we will not have his assistance. Moving on, Tokkul, due to its immense debt to our allies, has chosen to support us in this war. This will likely endager them, being so close to the enemy, so evacuation preparations will be made as soon as possible."

"While it is certainly not a pleasant thing to think about, the large expanse of land in Tokkul's general area is probably one of the most convenient battlefields a person could choose. Therefore, a great deal of our military force will construct a base in the nearby mountains. This is to go unnoticed. Discretion may cost our men their lives. Caution is to be exerted with the vikings- if we cannot contact them, then we have reason to be suspicious. One of our first priorities is to send a small platoon of soldiers there to investigate."

"The chocobo forest is, unfortunately, within enemy territory, so it is as of now unaccessible. This makes Gyshal's chocobo farms all the more crucial to us. Naturally, there is now an embargo on the border. None from Sasune may pass into Argus and none of Argus may pass into Sasune. Naturally, this will not be strictly held to by either side, so a border watch will be constructed. We must keep our ranks free of spies, and be certain that espionage is not an option for the enemy."

Quite calmly, Ingus raised his hand. At the king's assent, he spoke. "I believe one of our highest priorities would be mending my party's airship from the recent battle. While liaisons with the world beyond are not usually very possible, due to Airworld's lack of airships, but we have allies there." There was some uneasy movement- the Beyond was not a fond subject for most citizens of the floating continent. For them, it was the unknown, the unexplored. A place of hazard- and the abundancy of powerful monsters made it near taboo ground. "Few of the assembled have been to the Beyond, so it is difficult to explain, but I will try." Ingus paused. "The mere grounds of Castle Saronia is several times the size of our very world, and the Beyond itself is several hundred times the size of the Saronia grounds. They have more soldiers than Sasune and Argus combined- if we can gain their alliance, this war is as good as over."

King Sasune nodded. "Unfortunately, as you know, your airship was last in the care of the vikings, and we have no contact with them. Moreover, there is no doubt that you and your party are the only ones capable of a trip to Beyond, and your abscence would leave us vulnerable. But you are correct, the allies you've made may cost everything." He turned his eyes to Jaia. "The town of Kazus contains our best blacksmiths. I must ask that you begin working as fast as possible to provide armor, weaponry, and shields. I have heard also of Lady Refia's astonishing skill, so if it does not conflict with any of your other plans, then I must ask that you also make some weapons." Refia gave a kurt nod, exchanging an unreadable glance with Jaia. The ever-present merry spark in her eyes was cloaked in a hood of seriousness.

"This will be the main priority for Kazus while our soldiers examine the situation at the Viking Cove. As for the rest of you, raise your crops, your forces, and train like you've never trained before. The battle depends on it." The king turned to the four warriors, now so independent yet attatched to everything. "And Ingus, I must ask you to pass on your teachings of war to your friends." Something seemed to break within the man's eyes, and he sighed, expression pained. "They will need to know."

Expression grave and sombre, Ingus gave a curt nod. "I will get to it."

Giving his own nod in response, the king sighed again, before straightening. "If that is all, then this meeting is dismissed."

--

"Teachings of war?" Luneth pressed for what had to be the hundredth time. Unlike the other times, which involved either being ignored or having a fireball thrown at him, Ingus paused before replying.

"A castle and its warriors must always be prepared for battle. They taught me what to expect from war, and how to pull through it. As warriors in a full-out war, it seems it is now my duty to pass those teachings onto you."

Arc looked away, a detail that didn't evade Luneth's eye. The silver-haired boy shuffled a little, uncomfortable. For a moment, an oppressive silence hung over the group, until Refia- _bless her heart_- broke it.

"So...when do we start?"

Ingus broke his passive winter-blue gaze away from the distance, and he twitched slightly. "Tommorow."

--

"I'll give you a hypothetical situation," Ingus began, starting his lessons in a far-from educational environment. Namely, their room in the castle. Despite their lack of a classroom (all the official ones were being used to train civilians en masse), it had been astonishing and a little impressive to watch how easily Ingus slipped into the distant role of a teacher. "Imagine that you are captured by the enemy. Being high-ranked enough to be considered lords and ladies, they will know that we have access to classified information. Information that the enemy will be very eager to learn. Now, as we are naturally not going to surrender this information, they will torture us."

Arc shivered slightly with the prospect, and coloured a little when Luneth rubbed his shoulder comfortingly. Refia simply blinked and stared on, gaze flat and impassive. She'd sunk into a different role. It was believed that the person one becomes on the battlefield should be kept seperate from one's true self. As a result, most soldiers became completely different people when they had to be. Ingus found it sadly heartening to observe her slip into the state of military efficiency. As for the other two...they understood, but not enough. They still found the concept unbelievable, even though they knew the facts.

"Now, as they will be subjecting us to various horrors that I personally would rather not think about...what are we going to do?" Ingus's focus changed, scoping out onto a more personal level of speculation.

Luneth shifted a little. "Uh...I suppose we bear with it?" He sounded hesitant, as if unsure of his answer. "You know, just handle it and stay silent until help arrives." Refia murmured slightly in agreement, and Arc gave no sign at all. He simply sat, tense and unusually alert.

Ingus's level stare fixed them all with its flat truth, hastening to correct them. "No. Perhaps that is the answer a civilian will give, but you have to understand there's more to it than that." His gaze shifted again, losing its focus to disperse through the open window. The morning light shone on, and the birds sang innocent and unaffected by the inperceivable cloud settling on the land.

"These enemies of ours, however easy it may be to think of them as such, are not 'bad guys'. They are not irrevocable evil that must be destroyed because they will do nothing but try to cause harm. Not like Xande, or the Cloud of Darkness. To us, they're faceless soldiers on the field of battle. But they have their own families, they have their own dreams. You kill a man, and you know that you've killed someone's son. Someone's lover, someone's best friend. Perhaps to one person, the man you killed might have meant everything. It can be difficult to handle, and so we are taught to never leave a man alone after his first kill. Do you know what we will be doing in this war?" Ingus swept on, not waiting for an answer. "We will be killing. We will be burning. We'll be destroying people's lives. We're aiming to raze their villages to the ground until nothing's left. Can you honestly blame them for fighting us? Can you honestly blame them for wanting to protect their families? This is a grim buisness, and some people are willing to do anything to keep their homes safe." Ingus sighed heavily, eyes still unfocused and weary.

"They will torture us because it is what needs to be done to protect their home. They will torture us with everything they have, and they will torture us in ways that will make silence impossible. When in the hands of the enemy, know that they will _always_ find a way to make you speak. It doesn't matter how strong you are, or how long it takes, they _will_ get you talking. It's what they're trained for, after all. The trick is to tell them something they don't want."

Extremely unsettled, Luneth fired his next question. "What do you mean?" remarkably intelligent as ever.

"Some people memorise poems, or scripts of plays. Some songs, some stories, it doesn't really matter. Just something to fall back on when they get you talking- talk, but not what they're asking for. It's also possible to encode messages in self-created pieces- usually effective if there are spies."

There was silence for a while, before Ingus decided to continue giving out his words of depressing wisdom. "In this war, you're going to face thing that will make you want to surrender; to curl up and die. It's not a matter of how strong, or cruel, or sadistic you are- everyone has a breaking point. Everyone will break sometime. It's a fact and it can't be helped. There's just one rule," Ingus turned, focusing his grim stare upon them.

"Never break on the battlefield. Because if you do, then you're going down."

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Yes, it's short. I don't really have any time to do anything longer. Please review- I appreciate them all.

Now, I've decided to upgrade the rating to M. There will be some extremely dark themes later on, perhaps some extreme swearing, and I do plan on throwing in a lemon very much later on. If you don't want to read a lemon, then I'll simply say when to stop reading and when to restart.

There will be gore. You have been warned.

But don't worry, there will be SOME humor in the story. perhaps I'll squash some omakes in sometimes...eh, I dunno.


End file.
